Religion

The Rig Veda

The Rig Veda

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  • Create Date：2021-05-18 10:53:47
  • Update Date：2025-09-08
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  • Author：Wendy Doniger
  • ISBN：0140449892
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Summary

The earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas， and the first extensive composition to survive in any Indo-European language， the Rig Veda is a collection of over 1000 individual Sanskrit hymns。 A work of intricate beauty， it provides a unique insight into early Indian mythology， religion and culture。 This selection of 18 of the hymns， chosen for their eloquence and wisdom， focuses on the enduring themes of creation， sacrifice， death， women， the sacred plant soma and the gods。 Inspirational and profound， it provides a fascinating introduction to one of the founding texts of Hindu scripture， an awesome and venerable ancient work of Vedic ritual， prayer， philosophy， legend and faith。

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Reviews

Rebekah ，

incredible。 a must read！

G ，

This is not a complete translation of Rigveda。 The author herself writes that it is only 10% of it！ All of it is scattered and is not even in a sequential order。 This translation of Rigveda makes no sense and whatever I read of it， I can see that the translation itself is faulty and fails to capture the metaphysical essence of the Veda completely。This book is a joke。

Joseph Spuckler ，

Great first book well documented and footnoted。

Aaron Schuschu ，

Started it last year and picked it back up。 Interesting that there’s a lot of moments which remind me of the Bible and Greek mythology。 Must have come from a time before the tridevs were important because it seems that Indra， the bumbling antagonistic Zeus figure， was the bigger deal here。 Soma being a Bacchus and the Flood and Psalm- like and Song of Solomon like passages。 But why are the gods blond and the human women brunette？ And the possible racism there。

Animesh Mitra ，

Ancient scripture （consisting contradictory creation myths， praise for horse， praise for fire， hymns， praise for gods and goddesses， philosophies， ideas regarding life and death） of pastoral Aryan invader race; who migrated from central Asia and invaded India and defeated the aboriginal， native and indigenous Dravidian race。

Jewelianne ，

I did it！ I finished the Rig Veda！ Well， okay， no I didn't。 This is no where near the entire Rig Veda。 But I finished THIS selection of verses from the Rig Veda！Reading this was pretty difficult。 Much of the true meaning remains obscure， especially to someone like me who is NOT a scholar or a religious guru。 But even for the educated， much of it is esoteric。 However， what I did manage to grasp was really rewarding。 I obviously have no idea how this translations compares to the actual Sanskrit， b I did it！ I finished the Rig Veda！ Well， okay， no I didn't。 This is no where near the entire Rig Veda。 But I finished THIS selection of verses from the Rig Veda！Reading this was pretty difficult。 Much of the true meaning remains obscure， especially to someone like me who is NOT a scholar or a religious guru。 But even for the educated， much of it is esoteric。 However， what I did manage to grasp was really rewarding。 I obviously have no idea how this translations compares to the actual Sanskrit， but I feel like the Doniger did a great job。 Her introductions to each passage and her foot notes were instrumental to my understanding。 And I take back what I said。 I definitely feel like reading her translation of Hindu mythology was useful in reading this book。 By the end of the second book I was starting to recognize and understand some tropes and themes and symbols， which was pretty exciting for me。 There is little I can say about the actual Rig Veda， as I'm not sure I even fully understand just what it is yet。 It is not really a sacred book the way that we tend to think of it。 Or at least， it was not originally。 It is an oral tradition handed down from father to son for many generations before being recorded into a "book。" But it does give a really interesting look into the lives of an ancient people group。 I think it was most interesting to me when their concerns weren't so different from our own。 For example， I'm not sure if it was the translation or not， but I felt that the poems about death were among the most poignant and comprehensible。 Perhaps because， as part of the universal human experience， our feelings about death aren't so different than they were thousands of years ago。 Another interesting idea that was put forth by the translator is that the materialism of the Vedic religion doesn't suggest a shallow belief system， so much as it shows an integration of the divine with the worldly， human experience。 I was really interested in some of the rhetorical questions asked by the poet/sages， particularly in the creation myths。 For example:"Who verily knows and who can here declare it， whence it was born and whence comes this creation？The Gods are later than this world's production。 Who knows then whence it first came into being？He， the first origin of this creation， whether he formed it all or did not form it，Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven， he verily knows it， or perhaps he knows not。 "Of course， these are only little things that I am picking out， and don't even begin to encompass the verses that I read。 And THOSE， at only about a tenth of the verses in the Rig Veda， don't begin to scratch the surface of these writings。 （Not to mention the other Vedas！） Perhaps at some point I will try to read deeper， but I'm pretty sure that the Vedas could be a lifetime reading plan in themselves！ And even then， I think I would only begin to understand them。 。。。more

Victor Gordan ，

Not my cup of tea。 If you want to learn about Indian mythology and religion， then this is not the book for you。 I would say this is more of a intermediate book for Hinduism， and not an introductory one。 Still， some interesting stuff in it， such as the almost constant references to Soma （a sort of ritualistic hallucinogenic drug）， and different things they find important in life。

Rahul Banerjee ，

A collection of 108 hymns from the Rig Veda （Samahita）。 The hymns are grouped by theme （Creation， Sacrifie etc） and are supplemented by brief introductions explaining the symbolism， metaphors and the context。 This is a scholarly work with extensive footnotes and a detailed bibliography。 Doniger's work is a good first introduction to the oldest text of Sanskrit Literature。 A collection of 108 hymns from the Rig Veda （Samahita）。 The hymns are grouped by theme （Creation， Sacrifie etc） and are supplemented by brief introductions explaining the symbolism， metaphors and the context。 This is a scholarly work with extensive footnotes and a detailed bibliography。 Doniger's work is a good first introduction to the oldest text of Sanskrit Literature。 。。。more

Ragesh M。 ，

When it comes in the cut put language the Rig Veda is stripped off its Halo。

Sandra ，

A very beautiful book about stories of the Hinduism religion。 However， it is very complicated to understand due to the type of stories and the religion it deals with

mm ，

α - book sale - SMT influenceΩ - 🍧

Jung Edda ，

Masterpiece

Jo ，

It took a bit of discipline to give this the concentration it deserved throughout， but hopefully I did it justice。 It is not the most sparkling or riveting text ever， but parts of it were fascinating and well worth the effort。 Doniger selected for translation 108 hymns from the Rig Veda， about 10% of the total， choosing those she found most interesting and least dull or obscure。 I have to say some of the copy editing was poor and needs revisiting。 I was only familiar with a few of these hymns be It took a bit of discipline to give this the concentration it deserved throughout， but hopefully I did it justice。 It is not the most sparkling or riveting text ever， but parts of it were fascinating and well worth the effort。 Doniger selected for translation 108 hymns from the Rig Veda， about 10% of the total， choosing those she found most interesting and least dull or obscure。 I have to say some of the copy editing was poor and needs revisiting。 I was only familiar with a few of these hymns before， so it has been interesting gaining a broader impression of what is in the Rig Veda。 I know this sounds puerile， but for some reason I was impressed by how important cows were - almost every page had cows and bulls in all kinds of contexts， which was striking and question-provoking for me。 Also， bodily fluids， of every sort， in large quantities， were strikingly visible all over the place。 The texts revealed a culture full of familiar human emotions and dynamics， intelligence， sensuality， and poetic imagination， and also an ancient society driven by the need to survive， and all the issues that rise foremost in such a context。 。。。more

John Redmon ，

Historically important， obviously， and rather severely broadened the spectrum that I see as representing the nearly ridiculous human species。

Daniel Miess ，

I was once encouraged to look at the world’s religions and take the best from each of them。 Even though I have since returned to Christianity， along the way I learned to have an appreciation of the World’s Sacred Texts。 Wendy Doniger’s translation of the Rig Veda is both poetic and true to tradition。 Its rich language carries you back in time to the ancient world。 The language is sometimes beautiful and sometimes bawdy。 And， sometimes， it provokes deeper questions from you。 The Creation Myth at I was once encouraged to look at the world’s religions and take the best from each of them。 Even though I have since returned to Christianity， along the way I learned to have an appreciation of the World’s Sacred Texts。 Wendy Doniger’s translation of the Rig Veda is both poetic and true to tradition。 Its rich language carries you back in time to the ancient world。 The language is sometimes beautiful and sometimes bawdy。 And， sometimes， it provokes deeper questions from you。 The Creation Myth at the beginning of the selection leaves us with a question。 It says， “Whence this creation has arisen – perhaps， it has formed itself， or perhaps it did not – the one who looks down on it， in the highest heaven， only he knows – or perhaps he does not know。” Instead of leaving the reader with certainty， the reader has uncertainty and provokes a question， “How much do we really know？” While I do not have knowledge of Sanskrit， this book is written in language which is both accessible and enchanting。 Whether you have an interest in religion or poetry， this book is highly recommended reading。 。。。more

Carl ，

Not an easy read， but Wendy does an excellent job of introducing and commenting on each hymn。 This gives a fascinating insight into a world and a worldview far removed from our own。The introduction is very helpful， particularly her discussion on translation philosophy。 Nevertheless， the hymns are a challenge to read， and the proliferation of notes can make them difficult to appreciate as poetry - at times I found it helpful to read the hymn once through as one would read poetry， then read it aga Not an easy read， but Wendy does an excellent job of introducing and commenting on each hymn。 This gives a fascinating insight into a world and a worldview far removed from our own。The introduction is very helpful， particularly her discussion on translation philosophy。 Nevertheless， the hymns are a challenge to read， and the proliferation of notes can make them difficult to appreciate as poetry - at times I found it helpful to read the hymn once through as one would read poetry， then read it again following up on the footnotes。 。。。more

Frank ，

I don't fine the poetry appealing。 It's not lyrical， it doesn't evoke beautiful imagery。 I don't fine the poetry appealing。 It's not lyrical， it doesn't evoke beautiful imagery。 。。。more

Adrian Rose ，

This is a collection of hymns in the Hindu tradition， hymns sung by the priests of the religion as they go through the sacred rites。 Some of the hymns in this book are very beautiful， some are funny， and others are a little confusing if the reader is not familiar with the tenets of Hinduism。 For instance， the Soma that is mentioned numerous times in the various hymns is a drink that was made by squeezing the juice out of what scholars believe was a type of hallucinogenic mushroom。 The cows and h This is a collection of hymns in the Hindu tradition， hymns sung by the priests of the religion as they go through the sacred rites。 Some of the hymns in this book are very beautiful， some are funny， and others are a little confusing if the reader is not familiar with the tenets of Hinduism。 For instance， the Soma that is mentioned numerous times in the various hymns is a drink that was made by squeezing the juice out of what scholars believe was a type of hallucinogenic mushroom。 The cows and horses that are used in the verses to imply wealth and fertility refer to the myths in Indian culture where the different gods and goddesses appeared in these forms。 And the butter referred to many times is actually a substance called "ghee，" a type of clarified butter that is used in cooking， as well as to fuel lamps that burn during sacrificial ceremonies。 None of these things are ever explained in the book， the author apparently just assuming that the reader already knows these references。 For this reason， it is probably not a good idea to use this book as an introduction to a study of Hindu mythology。 However， many of the hymns are noteworthy。 The "Creation Hymn" is especially beautiful。 "The Gods Coax Agni Out of the Water" is paradoxical， since Agni is the god of fire。 And the descriptions of the various gods and goddesses to whom the hymns are dedicated are lyrical and amazing。 Even if you do not know much about Hindu beliefs or philosophy， this book can still be an immensely entertaining source of symbolic poetry。 。。。more

Rob ，

More poetic than other ancient religious texts， but no less repetitive。

Aditya Raghav ，

108 Vedic hymns - translated with copious notes。

Naomi Ruth ，

I wanted to like this more than I did， but I don't know if that's because of the translation I read？ It was divided into thematic groups and I kept feeling like I should be reading them within context of how they would be in the larger text， but I realize the larger text is ridiculously long so you have to make cuts somewhere for a book that just gives an overview。。。 I don't know。 I was left feeling unsatisfied， especially with how long it took me to get around to actually finishing this book。 I wanted to like this more than I did， but I don't know if that's because of the translation I read？ It was divided into thematic groups and I kept feeling like I should be reading them within context of how they would be in the larger text， but I realize the larger text is ridiculously long so you have to make cuts somewhere for a book that just gives an overview。。。 I don't know。 I was left feeling unsatisfied， especially with how long it took me to get around to actually finishing this book。 。。。more

Marko Bojkovský ，

Najteže čitanje mog života。 U novoj godini želim da naučim sanskrit。

Jimena Casillas ，

What is hinduism？

Robert Muir ，

Too complicated a pantheon of gods to be sorted out by this little book alone。 An expert in the Hindu religion may enjoy it。

Brendan Lloyd ，

Although only a 'best of' selection from the original Rig Veda （roughly a tenth of the original）， there is a significant amount of wisdom from the Hindu tradition， at times like an ancient mythic novel， other times a body of ancient wisdom underappreciated in the West。 An excellent source of information about Vedic tradition， and an excellent starting point for Hindu texts， of which there is a rich tradition。 It might just open your mind。。。 Although only a 'best of' selection from the original Rig Veda （roughly a tenth of the original）， there is a significant amount of wisdom from the Hindu tradition， at times like an ancient mythic novel， other times a body of ancient wisdom underappreciated in the West。 An excellent source of information about Vedic tradition， and an excellent starting point for Hindu texts， of which there is a rich tradition。 It might just open your mind。。。 。。。more

Bouguerche ，

A very beautiful book about stories of the Hinduism religion。 However， it is very complicated to understand due to the type of stories and the religion it deals with。

Adam MacRae ，

Reading this book was by no means an easy undertaking。 That being said， the reward for your dutiful and arduous perseverance is substantial。 Wendy Doniger is a remarkable translator and her insight was the most enjoyable part of the Rig Veda。 One passage that impacted me in particular was an introduction by her for the "Realla" section:"The Rig Veda is a sacred book， but it is a very worldly sacred book。 Nowhere can it be found the tiniest suspicion of a wish to renounce the material world in fa Reading this book was by no means an easy undertaking。 That being said， the reward for your dutiful and arduous perseverance is substantial。 Wendy Doniger is a remarkable translator and her insight was the most enjoyable part of the Rig Veda。 One passage that impacted me in particular was an introduction by her for the "Realla" section:"The Rig Veda is a sacred book， but it is a very worldly sacred book。 Nowhere can it be found the tiniest suspicion of a wish to renounce the material world in favour of some spiritual quest; religion is the handmaiden of the worldly life。。。 This is not to say that there is anything superficial about Vedic religious concerns， but merely that these meditations stem from a life-affirming， hours celebration of human existence。" 。。。more

Renée ，

Well this was a tough one， I think I know too little of Indian mythology to be able get a grasp of this。 There certainly were interesting bits for me and overall I think it is a very good translation，it was just too difficult for me。

Richard Anderson ，

A scholarly edition。

Thomas ，

i realised that this might not be the best translation when she referred to cookie monster to explain something in an end note

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Rig Veda

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Rig Veda&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Rig Veda&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0